We'll Still Have Our Place Of Peace, Our Love Will Linger On (Willie Dixon, Rob Wasserman & Bob Weir - "Eternity")

On a typical Friday night Shabbat dinner, as part of the blessings, we sing Shalom Aleichem (Peace to you). Looking at my wife and children, it becomes abundantly clear how worn out everyone is from the week just passed. Besides a fulltime job, my wife prepares a Shabbos feast.  Our children’s school day is typically longer than the standard 9-5 job and their work week s typically longer than the standard 40-hour workweek). Even after their long week, they are expected to pitch in and help prepare for Shabbat dinner. Needless to say by the time we finish eating dinner, Shalom – Peace, permeates the house. They adjourn from the table, make the way to the sofa and begin reading. All the while, I clean up the dining room, and the kitchen put away the leftovers and wash the dishes. The entire clean up takes about 30 minutes. By the time I finish cleaning my wife and children have ceased reading and are all in a deep slumber. The house is so quiet, so peaceful. Gone are the weekday requests for “homework help”, food shopping, house fixing, or the myriad of things that my wife and children need me to do.  During these moments I have a profound sense of Shalom, of Peace. Everything is put away, shalom. Everyone is safely home, Shalom. There is no anxiety of teenagers driving my car, Shalom, no worrying about my California born wife driving in bad weather, Shalom. There is no dealing with overtired frustrated high school students, shalom.  I pour myself a cup of hot tea, I sit, stretch my legs out, and for the next 30-45 minutes, I get to quietly study the weeks Torah portion without any interruptions. Indeed, for those 30-45 minutes, depending upon how tired I am, I experience the calm and the quiet of Shalom, of peace, knowing that for a moment everything is Shaleim, whole and complete.

This Shabbat, we read from Parsha Vayeishev. The focus of the narrative now shifts from Yaakov (aka. Israel) to his most beloved son Yosef. Contextually, Yaakov is at a point in his life where he has finished his spiritual and personal struggles. He now is at a calm and settled point in his life, hence the name of the Parsha: Vayeishev – and he settled. We learn that Yaakov, like his parents, played favorites. He showered Yosef, Rachel’s son, with a beautiful Kutonet Pasim – Coat of Many Colors. Yosef was a bit arrogant. This was manifested in his dreams that portrayed his greatness and the subjugated his brothers and his parents to his power. Needless to say, no one appreciated his dreams, neither his brothers who wanted to kill him but instead threw him into an empty pit nor his father who sent Yosef back to his brothers knowing that they were angry with him (Gen. 37:10-14). Yosef is then removed from the pit, sold as a slave and worked in the home of one of Pharaoh’s courtiers. The Parsha concludes with Yosef being sent to prison.

Unfortunately for Yaakov, and his family, there wasn’t an abundance of Shalom-Peace in their home. Yaakov’s son’s despised Yosef. VaYiru Echov Ki Oto Ahav Avihem MiKol Echav Vayisnu oto V’ Lo Yachlu Dabro L’Shalom – His brothers [Yosef’s brothers] saw that it was he [Yosef] whom their father loved the most of all the brothers; so they hated him and they could not speak peaceably to whom. (Gen 37:4). The brothers hated Yosef so much they couldn’t utter the words “Peace to You”, even as a common salutation or farewell. They were so jealous that they couldn’t muster the patience to inquire about their brother Yosef’s welfare. The Vilna Gaon explains this verse in light of a Talmud teaching from Berachot 64a: “one who takes leave of his friend should say Lech L ’Shalom – go TO peace rather than Lech B’Shalom – go IN peace. Although the difference is one letter, a Lamed for L’Shalom (to Peace) and a Bet for B’Shalom - In peace; it is the difference between e active and the passive, between the dynamic and the static, between the participating in the journey that was the week just passed, and the week passing by. For the brothers to withhold the blessing of L’Shalom- suggests that they were withholding their blessing that Yosef continues on his life’s journey. It’s no wonder that soon after they plan to kill him.

            As I sip my tea and study, I look at my wife and children, slumbering on the sofa. Knowing that I will have to help them to bed, I sit and look at them just a bit longer. Indeed, it seems that the week that has past was a journey, full of ups and downs. Perhaps there is something to be said for having successfully completed the week, completed the journey and grew as a person. For Yosef and the brothers, there was no such Peace nor will there be until Yosef and his brothers return to each other many years later. Their exhaustion is due to a lack of Peace.  However, our exhaustion is merely the physical manifestation of completing this journey and preparing for the next one that begins after Shabbat.  Certainly, our ability to tolerate and handle the journey is directly proportionate to be able to Lech L’Shalom.  

Peace,

Rav Yitz

Paradise Waits, On The Crest Of A Wave Her Angels In Flame (Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia- "Help On The Way")

There is no question that the highlight of our family's week is Shabbat. The house is cleaned; the kitchen smells of my wife's delicious cooking. With teenage children in the house, there is an expectation that they contribute to the Shabbat preparations. They are expected to have their rooms picked up, shower, set the table, and help in any of the last minute cooking or baking preparations and the ensuing clean up. Inevitably, one of them is on the phone, or the computer slacking off. After a gentle reminder or three, and sometimes a less gentle reminder, the preparations resume with everyone contributing. When we finally sit down to our meal, we all take a deep breath as we are ever mindful of the physical preparation that was required in order to appreciate such a spiritually powerful moment. So as we sing “Shalom Aleichem”, bless our children, and chant Eishet Chayil, and I see the Shabbat Candles burning; our home has achieved a level of spirituality that is very different from the weekday. Shabbat is very unique day in which the physical and the spiritual combine in a perfect symmetry and create the opportunity for a truly wonderful day. Ever mindful of our physical existence, Shabbat is the day where our physical existence is infused with spirituality. Shabbat is the day where we bring Olam Habah, and Gan Eden down to us and our physical existence.

This Shabbat, Jews throughout the world will be celebrating Yom Kippur –The Day of Atonement. The name of the day does sound rather solemn. For most Jews, Yom Kippur is considered a rather somber sort of day and a day in which we are supposed to “afflict” ourselves. In Masechet Yoma (the Talmudic tractate that focus on Yom Kippur), five afflictions are mentioned as part of Yom Kippur. These five afflictions are: fasting (no food or drink from sunset to sunset); washing; anointing; wearing of leather, and marital relations. While Shabbat is the day we do not afflict ourselves, when Yom Kippur falls on Shabbat, Yom Kippur supersedes the laws of Shabbat. Only Yom Kippur supersedes Shabbat in terms of importance. It is known as Shabbat Shabbaton – the Sabbath of all Sabbaths.  How can a day in which we physical afflict ourselves supersede the one day of the week where we miraculously bring the spiritual world down to our physical world?

The Midrash explains that Yom Kippur is the day that Moshe re-ascended the mountain and received the second set of the Aseret Dibrot, (the second set of commandments). Remember, the first set was destroyed when Moshe saw Bnai Yisroel worshipping the Eigel Zahav, the Golden Calf. In his anger, Moshe smashed the first set of stone tablets.  During this second revelation, this more private sort of revelation, Moshe had begged God to be permitted to see God’s face. While God rejected Moshe’s request, God did in fact allow Moshe to see God’s back as God passed (Exodus Chapter 33).  During these 40 days and nights, (beginning on Elul 1 and concluding on Yom Kippur), Moshe fasted.  On the one hand, he experienced a physical affliction due to the lack of food. On the other hand, he had the opportunity to be as near God as was humanly possible. In that moment he had become more spiritual than physical.  Yes we afflict ourselves. However, the “afflictions” are base on the desire to be more spiritual than physical. The “afflictions” are based upon our desire to be as close to God as humanly possible. Our “afflictions” are based upon our desire to experience God from the exalted position of the Angels without care or concern to our physical existence. The Atonement therefore is not the sole purpose of the day. The ultimate purpose of the day is to be as close to God as possible. How can we be close to God if we are ensconced in the physical realm? How can we be close to God if we need to atone for our spiritual shortcomings (our Chetaim –sins)? Our spiritual shortcomings are just that, short of God. Atonement allows us to be closer. Closer to God is a good thing. Closeness to God is the main objective of Yom Kippur. When we achieve this, we should be totally happy, at ease in utterly in awed just like Moshe was when he descended the mountain the second time with the second set of tablet.  God’s spiritual light emanated from Moshe. Who wouldn’t be happy if that happened to each and every one of us?

                 Rather than thinking of Yom Kippur as so somber and serious, it is the one day of the year where we purposefully supersede Shabbat. Rather than bringing HaKadosh Baruch Hu down to us, Yom Kippur is the day that we elevate our souls towards the Kadosh Baruch Hu. The experience should be much more “awe” as in “awesome” instead of somber. That experience ought to fill us with awe, joy, and leave us radiating light.

Gmar Chatima Tov -May we all be sealed in the Book of Life.

Peace,

Rav Yitz

A Foolish Heart Will Call On You To Toss Your Dreams Away (Robert Hunter and Jerry Garcia - "Foolish Heart")

            Living here in Toronto means that I probably go a bit overboard with my kids when it comes to U.S. History, and politics. When our daughter was reading To Kill a Mockingbird, my wife and I routinely talked to all of our kids about the book, American society in the Jim Crow south and what America looked like during the Great Depression. Despite driving my children kind of crazy, I make sure that they follow the political news as they need to understand the process involved to become President, they need to know who is running, they need to understand the nuances of each candidate and each political party. Recently our children were shocked to hear that the former Grand Wizard of the KKK supported Donald Trump, and when Trump was asked to disavow the endorsement he hemmed and hawed. Our three younger children were shocked. One of them commented that even they knew that the Klu Klux Klan was a bad thing since they hate blacks, Jews, and all minorities. Donald Trump apparently has a tough time separating himself from those who hate, from those who are destructive, those who want to destroy those things that make the United States a noble experiment in democracy.  Since Donald Trump never held office and never had to vote for a specific piece of legislation, never had to make a hard decision that affected anyone’s life but his own, since Donald Trump never had to care about anyone else but himself and his family; there is not a record of public service that permits me to evaluate him. We can only evaluate Trump based upon his words and at times his lack of words. There are his insulting words to Hispanics. There is the slowness of his words regarding disavowing the Klu Klux Klan. There are his words of admiration for Vladimir Putin, for Kim Jun–un (neither of whom would be considered friends of America). There are his personal insults to those who ask him policy questions. There are inevitably a lot of words about himself, lots of words about his wealth, lots of words about his success. So it is amazing to me, how easily millions of people can be conned. Trump has only one care and one concern: Trump and the Trump brand. He isn’t interested in making anything great again except Trump. He doesn’t care about the Party of Lincoln, nor does he care about a society or a government “by the people and for the people".  Based on his Trumps words, a Trump presidency would mean that America would do what is best for Trump. Gone would be a sense that to be an American Citizen means to is participate in the noble political experiment call “Democracy”. Gone would be any sense of a society trying to improve itself for all to benefit, so that everyone as the opportunity for self-improvement and to aspire towards the American Dream. That is neither American nor is it particularly Jewish.  

This week’s Pasha is Vayakahel. Following the sin of the Golden Calf and Teshuvah (repentance), B’nai Yisroel begins executing God’s instructions for the Mishkan, the Ark, and the Tent of the Meeting. After the destructive behavior of worshipping the Golden Calf, B’nai Yisroel comes together, and shares a common constructive experience bound by a common goal. Their goal is to complete the construction of the Mishkan.  Before they begin the actual execution of God’s command, Moshe reminds B’nai Yisroel that observing the Sabbath’s restrictions are paramount and supersede the Mishkan’s, (The Tabernacle) building schedule. Even though this structure was to be a place for God, the Sabbath restrictions are more important. The text then begins describing the common experience of contributing raw materials to this enormous public works project. V’Yavo’u  kol Ish Asher Nasahu Libo V’chol Asher Nadvah Rucho- Every man whose heart inspired him came; and everyone whose spirit motivated him brought the portion of God for the work of the Tent of the Meeting, for all its labor and for the sacred clothing (Ex.35:21). By participating in this constructive process, everyone had an opportunity to repent for the sin of the Golden Calf and for its lack of faith. First, B’nai Yisroel began on the fringes with its idolatrous activity. Then, and after B’nai Yisroel repented, it began moving towards the Holy of Holies. First they built the walls of the Tent of the Meeting; then the altar, and, finally, the Holy of Holies.

Our children continue to watch the political fall-out from Super Tuesday. They listen to a candidate who aspires to become the most powerful person in the free world. They hear a candidate struggle to speak out against the KKK, but praise Putin and Kim Jun-un, and our kids understand and appreciate that he doesn’t elevate anyone’ hopes and dreams. They understand that he doesn’t speak a language that appeals to the goodness and holiness in anyone. Hopefully our kids will remember this and never fall for this kind of con. Rather they should listen to the candidate that speaks the language of “community”, of “common sense of purpose”, and “shared experience”. When that kind of language is utilized and then put into action and deed, something wonderful happens. We achieve that balance between God and ourselves. The result, of course, is that God will dwell among us. God’s dwelling among us makes our community a little warmer, a little kinder, and more significant.

Peace,

Rav Yitz